Clutch



March 9, 1937. `P H SMYT'H, JR 2,072,924

` CLUTCH Fild Jan. 24, 1935 2 sheets-sheet 1 IIIIIUU f INVENTOR.

' THIS ATTORNEY.

n -wwfw l CLUTCH Filed Jan. 24, 1955 2 sheet'ssneetfz HIS ATTORNEY.

P. H. sM'YTH, JR

MMI 9,1937.

Patented Mai'.A 9, 19347v UNITED srATEs PATENT oFFic-ii Paul H. Smyth, Jr., Chicago, lll., allignor to Rock-Ola Manufacturing Company, Chiuso m. a comration of Illinois l Application January 24. 1935, suini No. 3,202

' s claims. (ci. i4-29) This invention relates to a clutch.-

It is an object of this invention to provide ani such a manner that'the shaft which carries the record-supporting disc, is 'operatively disconnected from the record-supporting disc if, for anyreason, the latter becomes overloadedor stops during its rotation, thereby preventing damage to zo the mechanism and, in particular, preventing the motor which operates the record-supporting disc and its supporting shaft from being burned out.

K Other objects will appear hereinafter.

` n The invention consists in the novel combinag tion and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention win best be understood by reier- Vence to the accompanying. drawings, showing the Vpreferred form of construction and in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred form of the present invention as applied to, and

embodied in; a phonograph apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on line 2-2 Fis. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on line- 9 3 in Fig 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail view of the new-clutch or cut-olf device;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5 5 in Fig. 4; and

ilcation of the invention.

A preferred form of the present invention is shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusiveof the drawings, '45 and is therein shown. for the purpose of illustration, as used in conjunction with a phonograph -apparatus, generally indicated at I I.

The phonograph apparatus Il comprises' a record-supporting disc or table II which is supported upon and 'carried by the driven member orshaft I 2, in aconventional manner, as shown; vthe shaft I2 being driven by means of a suitable electric motor I3 and driving shaft Il, through the-medium of a suitable power-transmitting device, auch astheworm Il whichis formed in the Fig. 6, is an enlarged sectional view of a modimotor shaft Il, and the worm gear I9' which is carried by a sleeve II, the sleeve I1 being carried by the shaft i2. y

Providedin the peripheralsurface of the driv- .en shaft I2, at spaced intervals radially there- 5 around, are axially extending grooves or indenl tations I9, and carried by the sleeve I1 is a housing I9 in whic are provided pockets 20. 'I'he pockets 20 are a 'anged at radial intervals around the housing I9 and arranged in each pocket 20 410 is a latch element in the form of a ball 2|. Formed in the driving member or 'sleeve I'I, -in communication with the pockets 20, are openings 22 (Figs. 4 and 5) and the latch elements or balls 2| are urged through the openings 22, so as t0 l5 bear against the peripheral surface of the shaft I2, by means ofsprings 23 which are arranged Jinto pockets 20; the springs 2l being retained inv the pockets 20 and being held compressed therein by means of set screws 24, and the set screws 24 20 being threaded. into tapped openings 25 which are formed as parts of the pockets 20.

'Ihe housing|9 is'. removably clamped to the sleeve II by means of a set screw 26.

Operation 26 The latch elements or balls 2| are normally urged, by the springs 23, through the openings 22 intoengagement withv the'peripheral surface of D. the shaft I2, and when the motor I3 -is set iny 30 operation the sleeve I1, and the housing I9- carried thereby, and'the balls 2| in the housing I I, are valso rotated, by way of the power transmitj l ting device |4I5|6. Accordingly, the latch elements or balls 2|are thus moved, by rotation 35 of the sleeveII and housing I9, into registration with the axial grooves I8 inthe shaft I2.,and the balls 2| are urged into the grooves I8, byv the action of the springs 23, so that the sleeve' II,- the housing I9 carried thereby, the shaft I2, 40

andthe disc carried by the shaft I2 are ro- I tatetfgtogether as a unit. However if. for any reason the supporting disc II becomes overloaded the torque exerted on thel sleeve II, forces the balls 2| out of the grooves:l 4.5

the uiten elements cr bans 2|v win vniterinaeiy as ride into' and out of the indentations or axi grooves I8 in the shaft I2, but as soon as the such as I8, in the shaft 21, indentations in the form of sockets 28 are provided in the periphery of the shaft 21, and these sockets 28 are arranged at radial intervals around the shaft 21; the latch elements or balls 29 being urged through openings 30 which are formed in the sleeve 3|, into engagement with the sockets 28, by means of springs 32 which are arranged in .pockets 33, which are formed in a housing 34;

the housing 34 being carried `by the sleeve 3|.

It is to be noted that in the form of the in- I vention shown in Figs. 1 to 5; the indentations have the form of the axially extending grooves I8 so that the shaft I2 and the record-supporting disc |I carried thereby may be moved axially of the shaft I2 and relative to thelatch elements or balls 2|, whereas the indentations in :the shaft 21 have -the form of sockets 28 and are used where the shaft, such as 21, is not intended to be moved axially relative to the latch elements or balls 29. Otherwise the modification shown in Fig. 6 is the same as the form of the invention shown in Figs. l to inclusive.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my in` vention into elect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus describedmy invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A` driving mechanism for a phonograph record supporting table comprising a driven shaft adapted` to support the table for rotation in a horizontal plane and provided with spaced axially extending grooves, a motor, a sleeve embracing the driven shaft, driving connectiontbetween the sleeve and the motor, and spring-urged latch means carried by the sleeve andengageable in the'` grooves to operatively couple the sleeve and the driven lshaft together and 'adapteck when excess load is applied to the table to unyieldable clutching engagement with said shaft,

said sleeve being adapted for driving engagement with driving means.

3. Clutch mechanism for phonographs, said mechanism comprising a driven sleeve, .a turntable shaft revoluble in said sleeve, a clutch housing member having a central bore and tted onto said sleeve, said housing member. having means threadably movable in a direction radially toward said sleeve to removably secure the same in position on the sleeve, and said housing further having ball means yieldingly urged in a ra dial direction into clutching engagement with said shaft.

4. Clutch mechanism for phonographs, said mechanism including a driven sleeve, a shaft revoluble in said sleeve, and clutch means in the form of a housing member having a central bore and removably secured on said sleeve, said housing having chambered portions directed radially toward said shaft, spring means in said chambered portions, ball means urged by said* spring means intoclutching engagement with said shaft through said sleeve, and means threadable into and .out of said chambered portions for adjusting the tension of said spring means.

5. Turntable driving mechanism for phonographs, said mechanism comprising a frame, motor means on said rame, a driven sleeve having a peripheral opening and rotatably supported by said frame and driven by said motor, a' turntable shaft having an axially extended slot and revoluble in said sleeve, and clutch'means i-ncluding a housing ring embracing said sleeve, said ring having holes directed radially toward said sleeve and shaft therein, means threadable into one of said holes for engagement with said sleeve to holdsaid housing member in a desired u' position, spring means inanother one of said holes and having a ball member yieldingly urged thereby'through s'aidopeningin the sleeve and into said slot in said turntable shaft to clutch said sleeve and shaft for conjoint rotation, and means threadable in said last-mentioned hole to adjust the tension of said spring means.

' PAUL H. SMYTH, Je. 

